The small, free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is gaining favor as an organism in which to study the genetic basis of animal development, behavior, and aging, primarily because of its relatively simple anatomy (about 810 nongonadal nuclei), short life cycle (3 days), and suitability for genetic analysis. Studies in development include the following topics: cell lineages and ultrastructural differentiation during embryogenesis and after hatching; gonad development, gametogenesis, and fertilization; sex determination; the molecular structure and assembly of muscle; development of the dauer larva, which occurs as a non-aging variant in the absence of food; and the biochemistry and morphology of molting and cuticle formation. Neurobiological topics include: reconstruction of the complete wiring diagram of the nervous system, electrophysiology f Ascaris -- a nematode with a similar neuroanatomy but much larger neurons, and the study of neurotransmitters. Most of these studies make use of mutants and genetic analysis, but questions about cell function are also being approached using laser microbeams to kill selected cells. The objective of the C. elegans Meeting is to bring together people working on these and other diverse aspects of C. elegans biology so that they may enlighten, criticize, and stimulate each other hence advance the field.